The Mushroom, which is generally called Kawariharatake, belongs to the family Agaricaceae of the division Basidiomycota, and is referred to by the botanical name “Agaricus blazei Murill” and the Japanese name “Kawariharatake”. Agaricus blazei Murill (hereinafter, generally referred to as Kawariharatake, ABM, or agaricus) has been traditionally used as a medicament in the Piedade region in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It is said that Kawariharatake has a variety of immunostimulatory activities and effects on cancer prevention and suppression of tumor growth. Currently, it is widely provided for internal use as health food.
Polysaccharides contained in Kawariharatake include β-1,6-glucopyranosyl residues and have anti-tumor activity against Sarcoma 180 (Ebina T et al. (1986), Jpn. J. Cancer Res 77:1034-1042).
Extracts from Kawariharatake include (1→4)-α-D-glucan having (1→6)-β branched chain, and they have natural killer cell activation activity and selective anti-tumor activity mediated through apoptosis (Fujimiya Y et al. (1998), Cancer Immunol Immunother 46:147-159).
Peptideglycans from Kawariharatake have a direct cytotoxic activity against Meth A tumor cells in a double implanted tumor system and an indirect immune enhancement activity in tumor-bearing mice (Ebina T et al. (1998), Biotherapy 11:259-265).
Polysaccharides contained in Kawariharatake changed the percentage of spleen Thy1,2-, L3T4 positive cells in a T cell subset of mice (Mizuno M et al. (1998), Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 62:434-437).
These reports suggest that polysaccharides contained in Kawariharatake have cytotoxic activity against tumor cells through an immunomodulation activity.
In this manner, although there are many reports regarding immune enhancing activities and anti-cancer activities of Kawariharatake extract, those tests were conducted in vitro or conducted on animals already suffering from cancer to examine the effects of Kawariharatake, and none of those examined the effects of Kawariharatake in the genesis of cancer such as breast cancer. Further, there are no reports, to the best of inventor's knowledge, that examined the effects of Kawariharatake extract and ingredients contained therein on terminal cancer.    Non-patent document 1: Ebina T et al. (1986), Jpn. J. Cancer Res 77:1034-1042    Non-patent document 2: Fujimiya Y et al. (1998), Cancer Immunol Immunother 46:147-159    Non-patent document 3: Ebina T et al. (1998), Biotherapy 11:259-265    Non-patent document 4: Mizuno M et al. (1998), Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 62:434-437.